1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to multilayer polymer films and to methods for producing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Polyolefin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene are common packaging materials because of their relative low cost, heat sealability, and moisture resistance. However, these polyolefins have a fairly high permeability to gases including oxygen, so that, used alone, they are not adequate for packaging oxygen sensitive foods and other materials that degrade in the presence of oxygen or other atmospheric gases.
It is known that polymers and copolymers of vinyl alcohol, hereafter called vinyl alcohol films, have excellent resistance to permeation by gases, particularly to oxygen. Vinyl alcohol films include polyvinyl alcohol and ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer. The desirable properties of the vinyl alcohol films degrade in the presence of moisture. Vinyl alcohol films also tend to be structurally brittle, particularly when formed in relatively thin layers, i.e. in the range of 1 mil or less. Thus, efforts have been made to laminate a vinyl alcohol web between two outer webs of polyolefin which provide a moisture barrier and structural support for the vinyl alcohol core. An example of such a structure, a core layer of ethylene vinyl alcohol blended with another polymer and sandwiched between two outer layers of polyolefin, is shown in the U.S. Patent to Nohara, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,259. Since the oxygen barrier property of substantially pure vinyl alcohol polymer is superior to that of vinyl alcohol blends, it is desirable to produce a film having a substantially pure vinyl alcohol layer within polyolefin layers. However, substantially pure ethylene vinyl alcohol and polyvinyl alcohol do not bond well to many polymer films, particularly polyolefin films.